A bombilla is a bamboo straw traditionally used to drink Yerba Mate from a hollowed out mate gourd. The bombilla acts as both a sieve and a straw. The flared end is the end that you put into the brewed mate. It has small holes that let the brewed mate in, but not the chunky parts that make up much of the mate mixture.
Do not stir your mate with the bombilla - it will let sediment and parts of the mate leaves to get into the straw (and into your mouth). Originaly priced at $7.95 each, these bombillas are 40% off and priced at $4.77.